Cai Weiweng
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| "Cai Weiweng" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story by Pu Songling | |||
 Illustration from Xiangzhu liaozhai zhiyi tuyong (Liaozhai Zhiyi with commentary and illustrations; 1886) | |||
| Original title | 采薇翁 (Cai Weiweng) | ||
| Translator | Sidney L. Sondergard | ||
| Country | China | ||
| Language | Chinese | ||
| Genres | |||
| Publication | |||
| Published in | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio | ||
| Media type | Print (Book) | ||
| Publication date | 1740 | ||
| Published in English | 2010 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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"Cai Weiweng" (Chinese: 采薇翁; pinyin: Cǎi Wēiwēng) is a short story by Pu Songling first published in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Set at the end of the Ming dynasty, the story follows the enigmatic title character who assists an army commander in training his troops.
While preparing to cross the south end of the Yangtze, Yuling (於陵) native and army commander Liu Zhisheng (刘芝生) encounters a lightly-dressed man whose belly is exposed. The stranger introduces himself as Cai Weiweng (采薇翁) and offers to train Liu's troops. Cai also demonstrates his ability to slot an inordinate amount of weapons into his navel. By-and-by, mysterious deaths befall men whose actions are disagreeable to Cai; the troops tire of Cai's disciplinarian ways and petition for his removal. Liu approves of Cai's assassination; the soldiers attempt to behead him while he is asleep, but Cai's head immediately reattaches to his body. Next, they slice open his belly, only to be met with an onslaught of halberds and arrows. Upon being notified of this, Liu rushes into Cai's tent but he is nowhere to be found.